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Published: July 22nd 2013
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Getting off the plane in Hanoi, everything seemed strangely familiar. Thankfully we knew what to do regarding out visas and we were amazed at how easy and quick the process was when compared to the nightmare of Saigon! Before we knew it we were with our friends, Kaithe and Ted, and fighting with the capital's traffic in a taxi en-route to their flat.
After resting for a while and catching up with our friends, we soon had to think about dinner. It was our first night back in Vietnam so if course it should be an Indian take-away! To place your order with the Namaste you simply visit their website, select your dishes (be careful though, the online menu doesn't tell you how spicy things are), and half an hour or so later there will be a knock at the door. Magic! And the food is simply amazing.
The next day we set about being tourists. Our first stop was the Women's Museum. At the entrance was a collection of photographs showing the role of women in rural life. Whilst the pictures were undoubtedly beautiful, we were left wondering if it is right to exploit one person's difficult lifestyle
for another's enjoyment. Inside the displays were unusually well put together and informative. There were all sorts of colourful traditional costumes and Trish even got to carry a basket of firewood using only a strap across the forehead.
From there we went to one of Hanoi's most famous and frightening sights - Hoa Lo prison, known to some as the Hanoi Hilton. Although Senator John McCain's flying suit now hangs in his former prisoner-of-war encampment, the museum really concentrates on the maltreatment of Vietnamese POWs by the French in the War of Independence. Parts of it are pretty horrific, not least the guillotine and nearby pictures of severed heads in baskets. It's yet another reminder that man's inhumanity to man has no boundaries.
After lunch in the popular backpacker hangout "The Kangaroo Cafe" we set out for something a little more spiritual. The Temple of Literature certainly provided that with its beautiful courtyards and peaceful temple buildings. The original scholars here were rewarded for their success with a carved stone turtle bearing a book inscribed with their details on its back. Some 82 of these remain today.
The heat and humidity of Hanoi ensure that you can't
really do much more than that in a day. Rest is essential and we are getting quite good at doing it!!
Our next day was our final day in the capital. First we had to go to the bus station to sort out our departure for the following day. This proved to be very easy because, although far from fluent in English, the guy in the ticket office had some very functional language.
Tickets in hand we took a taxi out to the huge Ho Tay (West) Lake. There we visited the Tran Quoc Pagoda. It is one of the oldest in Vietnam, well, parts of it maybe! It is a beautiful and tranquil place where self contemplation is quite easy - until a coach load of Japanese tourists come along!!
From there we walked along the lake to the floating Potomac restaurant. Resisting the temptation to go onto the lake in a swan shaped pedalo, we settled for iced Vietnamese coffee instead. A little later we ordered lunch which took forever to arrive and, when it did, the sweet potato chips were as cold as the salads were warm! The reason? Our food was delivered by
motorboat from the far side of the lake!
A taxi took us to the North side of the lake where Russ indulged in an hour of Shiatsu massage. Whilst he was being re-energised, Trish chilled out in an air conditioned cafe. It is rumoured that when asked if he wanted it harder, Russ just groaned "Ooh yes!!"
My body is a temple.
So that was pretty much it for Hanoi. One more take-away from the Namaste and a pancake breakfast cooked by Kaithe, then we were on our way.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Humid in Hanoi
I was laughing as I read your blog as it was raining when we were there also. It was good to see the Tran Quoc Pagoda again. Thank you for providing us with some great memories.